This bi-partisan bill is introduced by Rep. John Taylor (R-Phila) and State Senator Farnese (D-Phila) as HR 1091.

Why should you sign?

As a member of the National Rifle Association and the Gun Owners of America, I am in favor of increasing the minimum sentencing for violating the Pennsylvania Uniform Firearms Act. "VUFA" as it is called, is violating this Act. All too often repeat gun offenders are not receiving stiff penalties for repeatedly carrying guns illegally on their person in Philadelphia. Common Pleas judges focus on the primary reason why a criminal was arrested at the time of sentencing, not the gun charge. If one is arrested for carrying a light amount of drugs, but is armed illegally, the gun charges are discarded and a light sentence is carried out. Judges are restricted in their sentencing guidelines from making sentencing decisions that focus on gun violence.

With this bill, the blame for keeping convicted repeat gun offenders on the streets will rest solely with the Philadelphia District Attorney.

This petition is directed at legal gun owners and non-gun owners in PA. Please sign this petition and forward to anyone you know who is interested in this issue and wants to see firm action taken.

This piece of legislation corrects a problem: our judges. All too often, our Common Pleas court judges are restrained in the sentences they give out for VUFA. We have too few repeat gun offenders facing the penalties they deserve for carrying illegal firearms in Philadelphia. This puts the safety of those who own and don't own firearms legally at risk. This measure does not change any existing gun laws in the Commonwealth. Rather, it increases the penalties for violating the Uniforms Firearms Act for carrying without a license in Philadelphia.

Legal gun owners point to the Philadelphia justice system as one of the reasons why so many repeat gun offenders walk the streets of Philadelphia. This measure addresses this problem in an aggressive manner. I sincerely hope you can consider this bill, amend it as necessary, and have it on Gov. Corbett's desk as soon as possible.